Chasing Starlight
by nowhere-girlx
Summary: Aria finds out she's pregnant with Ezra's baby, just months before she goes off to University. Rated T/M. Do R&R!
1. The Infamous Plus

**Chasing Starlight**

Chapter 1

_The Infamous Plus_

Aria Montgomery walked out of Spencer Hastings' bathroom, holding a device that looked like a thermometer. The other three girls stared at her as she approached, a worried look etched on her face, shaking the device vigorously.

"Well?" Emily Fields asked anxiously.

"The box says it takes thirty minutes to come up with a result," Aria said dully, proceeding to place the device on the table. Hanna Marin grabbed her phone, which had been resting on the table, before Aria could do so.

"Eww, Aria! Do you mind not keeping that thing on the table? You just peed on it!"

Spencer handed Aria a wad of tissues and Aria wrapped the pregnancy test in them and placed it on the table. She sat on the bed, twisting her hands in her lap, looking as though she might throw up. Spencer reached out and held her hand.

"Hey, listen to me," she said soothingly. "It must just be a scare. It happens to everybody. This thing right here–" she gestured towards the pregnancy test, "–could prove otherwise! Sometimes, your period could be late because of…stress and other things. We're graduating in two weeks and college is just a couple of months away! It's natural that you'd be nervous. And, you're moving to New York, to a completely new, big city."

"I didn't just miss my period, Spence," Aria said in a low voice. "I've been having nausea and headaches and my boobs are so sore, I can't even fit them into my pink bra. I'm pretty sure that there's something growing inside me as we speak and that little thing on the table will prove just that."

"Remember when I had that pregnancy scare?" Hanna reminded her. "I was so sure I had all those symptoms, too. Turns out I was wrong. The mind's a powerful thing, Aria. When you think you're pregnant and you're so sure that you are, the body starts thinking you are, too, and starts displaying all these weird physical symptoms. I think it has a name – false pregnancy or something."

"I don't think Aria is _nearly _as neurotic as you are, Hanna," Emily said dryly. Hanna threw a pillow at her.

"Aria, even if you _are _pregnant, have you thought about telling Ezra?" Emily asked Aria nervously. Aria sighed and flopped down on the bed.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Hanna gaped at her. "How can you not tell him? Oh, wait." She held up a hand. "It _is _Ezra's, right? Because if it's not, Aria Montgomery, you bad, _bad _girl–"

"Of course it's Ezra's! But I don't even know if I'm pregnant yet. Oh, dear God!" Aria muffled her face with the pillow. "I'm going crazy! I'm talking if I'm already pregnant. And…if I am…what about…college…and…."

"Aria!" Spencer reached out and shook her firmly. "Stop! Look, you've got to keep a cool head. Hopefully, for your sake, you're not pregnant. But if you are, don't worry about Ezra. He loves you, I'm sure he won't react badly."

"It's not his reaction I'm worried about." Aria pushed herself up on her elbows and looked at her friends. "I'm sure Ezra wouldn't…dump me or tell me to get rid of it. It's just that he's been talking a lot about this new job in Philadelphia that he might be able to land. His job interview went well, the principal of that school seems very impressed with him. This…baby could ruin a lot of things for him."

"Well, you can never be sure until confirmation stares you in the face," Spencer said confidently. "And by the sheer law of probability, there _is _a chance you couldn't be pregnant."

"Yeah, Aria," Emily said, reaching out to touch Aria's shoulder. "Spencer's right. Let's just wait and see what the test says."

"At least Emily will never have a pregnancy scare," Hanna said, her eyes on her phone as she typed out a text. Emily tossed her a look.

"What makes you think I'll never want a baby?"

"Well, I can hardly imagine that Paige has the right equipment to get you to think you're pregnant–"

"Shh!" Spencer said suddenly. "Aria…I think it's done. There's something on it."

There was a silence as Aria sat up and carefully took the pregnancy test in her hand. Trying to remain calm, she took a deep breath and stared at it.

There was a tiny red plus sign on the screen. For a second, it seemed to blur before Aria's eyes.

_I'm pregnant._

_With Ezra's baby._

_With college just months away._

"Aria?" Hanna asked uncertainly. "Everything…okay?"

Aria placed the pregnancy test on the table with as much calm as she could muster, willing herself not to scream and hurl it against the wall.

"No," she said in a hollow voice. "Nothing's…okay. And it never will be."

At that moment, the girls understood. They moved towards Aria, enveloping her in a hug. Aria said absolutely nothing as all of them talked about how Ezra would "understand" and how everything would "work itself out" and how they were all going to be "there for her through everything".

"Aria, I don't really want to say this," Emily said nervously. "But if you're that upset about this baby, there is another option…"

"If you're saying I should get rid of this baby, I can't do it, Emily," Aria replied. Her hand went instinctively to her stomach and as crushed as she was about the news, the maternal instinct inside her reared its head. "I'm going to keep it. Sleeping with Ezra was something I did because I wanted to, knowing fully what could happen. I just know that this is the responsible thing to do."

Spencer leaned in and gave her a hug. "This is amazingly mature of you, Aria. When are you going to tell Ezra?"

Aria threw her a panicked look, edging away from her. "Wh-what? Tell Ezra? Do I really have tell him?"

Hanna reached out and touched her arm. "Aria, are you okay? You didn't even look that panicked when you found out you're pregnant. Why does the possibility of telling Ezra freak you out so much?"

Aria covered her face in her hands. "I told you. It's his new job. He thinks he might get through. I don't want to mess this up for him, Han. I really don't."

"Aria, you've got to tell him, no matter what!" Spencer insisted. "I'm not going to lie to you; it's definitely going to throw your world as well as his off-track but you can't _not_ tell him. He's the father; he has a right to know."

"Maybe I should just tell him after the baby's born?" Aria said hopefully. "After he's…I don't know, settled with his job so maybe then–"

"What is wrong with you?" Hanna exploded. "Do you seriously think you can have the baby and then give it to him and say, 'Hey, daddy! This is your baby. Have fun!'?"

"If you don't tell him now, he'll never forgive you, Aria," Emily reminded her. "Tell him as soon as possible."

"What are you going to do about college, Aria?" Spencer asked her. "I mean, you are going off to NYC. You can't keep this kid with you in your Columbia dorm room–"

"I'll think about that later, Spence," Aria interrupted. "Right now, the important thing is telling Ezra."

At that moment, her phone beeped. She picked it up and opened the message. It was from Ezra.

'_Hey, babe, are we still on for tonight? I love you. – E'_

"It's from Ezra," Aria told the other three. "We were planning to meet in Philadelphia for dinner tonight. He'll meet me at the restaurant after he's done with his final interview. I'll tell him then."

"You're going to Philadelphia tonight?" Hanna asked her. "I was planning to go there too. I need to pick up something for Caleb's birthday next week. I'll give you a ride."

"It's a good thing you're staying with Spencer this week," Emily told Aria. "It'll give you some time to clear your head about how you're going to tell your parents."

Aria groaned. "Damn! I don't even know how I'm going to tell them. Do you remember how my dad reacted when I told them Ezra and I were dating? He got him kicked out of his job at Hollis. If he finds out Ezra's gotten me pregnant…that's probably the end of both of us."

"Look, you and Ezra can discuss this tonight," Spencer told her. "I'll make you some green tea. It'll help calm your nerves. Just focus on breaking the news to him."

"Since when did Spencer start drinking green tea?" Aria asked quietly as Spencer left the room. "Last time I checked, she was still downing coffee like water."

"It's not Spencer. Her mum's on this whole healthy diet thing," Emily said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I figured," Aria murmured. She let her hand slide down to her stomach, which was still flat, though she knew it wouldn't remain that way much longer. She let her hand linger there, almost as if she expected to feel a kick. She felt nothing.

"It's going to be okay," she murmured, though she wasn't sure whether she was talking to herself, or whether she was assuring this little baby growing inside her, which could be hardly larger than a fingernail at that moment, that it wouldn't have to worry.

_You're going to be fine. I'll take care of you._


	2. They're (apparently) Just Words

**Chasing Starlight**

Chapter 2

_They're (apparently) Just Words_

"What're you planning to have, Aria?" Ezra asked her. "You've been staring at that menu card for ten minutes now."

Aria snapped out of her reverie and met her boyfriend's loving eyes. He looked so handsome in his suit with his navy blue tie contrasting sharply against the crisp whiteness of his shirt. The soft restaurant lighting emphasized his strong, square jaw and his brown eyes looked warm.

"I'll have the Caesar salad," she said, looking down at the menu and choosing the first thing that she saw. "And the…soup. Uh, corn soup."

"Do you even like corn soup?" Ezra asked, with a little laugh, as the waitress took down their order. "It sounds awfully bland."

"You're right," Aria said. "Cut that out. I don't want any soup." She smiled at the waitress. "We need a couple of minutes."

"Of course," said the waitress. "Take your time." She shot Ezra a wide smile before she walked away. Aria rolled her eyes.

Ezra reached out to take her hand. "I'm so glad that we're doing this. I know I've been a little distracted lately, with this new job and everything. I'm really sorry about that."

"Ezra, it's okay," Aria said, trying to smile as she squeezed his hand. Her stomach was doing cartwheels and knotting itself into painful twists. He was looking radiant and handsome as he smiled at her. _He looks so happy, _she mused as she studied his face. _Almost as if his life is finally falling into place. This baby could really mess things up for him. _Instinctively, her hand went to her stomach.

"You okay?" Ezra was studying her with a curious look on his face. "You've been a little distracted ever since we came here. Is something bothering you?"

Aria rearranged her facial muscles and tried to smile convincingly at him. "A lot of things seem to be happening so fast, Ezra. I'm graduating in two weeks, I'm going off to University in New York, we're going to be in a long-distance relationship and I really don't know how well that's going to work out. I don't know how I feel about any of that. It's happening so fast. It just feels like it I returned from Iceland a couple of weeks ago and met you in that bar. Now, we're going to be so far away and things are going to be so different and…and…" _I'm not ready to be a mother but I know I have to keep this baby because it's the responsible thing to do and I love you but I don't want to mess this up for you, especially since you look so happy and content with your life._

"Hey, hey, hey. Aria." Ezra squeezed her hand. "I know any kind of change is hard, but we'll get through this. Okay? You're going to love Columbia. A cousin of mine studied there and she had a blast! I'll visit you all the time, especially now since I'm working in–" He stopped abruptly, biting his lip as though he'd let something important slip. Aria caught on immediately.

"Ezra! What are you saying? Did you get that job in Philadelphia?"

"I did." A beaming smile bloomed across his handsome features. It broke Aria's heart to see how happy he looked at that moment. "Aria, I got that job! And I couldn't be happier." He took her hand and kissed all five of her fingers as she sat staring at him, stunned. "I have you to thank. You're the one who pushed me to take up that job. Thank you so much for making me go to that interview. And I can visit you in NYC during the weekends!"

A torrent of emotions was flowing through Aria's system, numbing her brain and stopping her ability to think. Here Ezra was, so happy with everything that had been happening to him; he'd gotten that job. He was going to move to Philadelphia. He was finally going to be teaching, doing something that he loved, when he'd been unemployed for almost a year.

This baby could ruin all that. It could ruin his chances of starting over, of finally doing something he loved, of going out there and pursuing his dreams.

It could force him to stay in Rosewood, where he couldn't find a job. It could force him to move to New York with her to help with the baby, when he'd mentioned a dozen times that he was so excited to work in that school in Philly.

It could wipe that look off his face – that smile, the untarnished, innocent happiness flooding across his face.

At that moment, Aria realized she couldn't tell him. Not at the risk of watching his entire world crumble around him in front of her. She'd seen Ezra when he was unemployed, how demotivated and blue he had constantly been feeling. There was a part of her that knew that there was no way she could tell him about her pregnancy just when he was feeling so jubilant and on top of the world, when he was feeling accomplished and proud of his life again.

_If you tell him later, it's going to hurt some more, _a voice in the back of her head whispered. _He's going to grow accustomed to the idea of his new job and his new life so if you tell him then, it's going to be harder for him to let go of that picture he would have built up in his head._

_But if you tell him now, you're going to have to watch his happiness come down like a stack of cards. Are you ready to face that?_

"Aria?" Ezra frowned at her. "You…you didn't react. I told you–"

"I heard what you said," she interrupted. "That's…great. The fact that you could just hop onto a train and visit me in New York. But I, um, might be busy. You know, since University is really hectic and crazy…"

"I'm sure you can still find some time in your soon-to-be-busy schedule for me." Ezra leaned in across the table and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Oh, yeah, we're ready to order," he said cheerfully to the waitress who'd arrived at their table.

"Celebrating something?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. "I could bring you two glasses of champagne on the house. It looks like a special occasion." She shot Ezra another wide smile.

"That would be lovely," Ezra, practically drunk on happiness, smiled back at her. "None for me, thanks, since I'm driving both of us home. But a glass for my girlfriend would be great."

"No!" Aria said loudly. The waitress and Ezra turned to her questioningly. She blushed under their confused gazes. "I don't want to drink without Ezra," she invented. "Maybe some other time."

"Honey, it's okay," Ezra said, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. "I'll drink with you some other time. You can drink on my behalf today," he added with a wink.

"Ezra, I really, _really _don't want champagne," Aria insisted. She was starting to feel the heat of Ezra's suspicion. He was starting to notice how off-colour she'd been behaving and it worried him. She tried to breathe in deeply through her nose, the way Emily had taught her, to try and blow off some steam. The waitress took down their orders and left. Ezra turned to her.

"Don't tell me everything's okay because I know it isn't."

"Ezra, I told you!" Aria rubbed her eyes tiredly as she spoke. She found herself unable to look at him. "I'm just a little frazzled and worried, that's all. A lot of unexpected things are coming up. I hope we can survive them." _Including the birth of your son or daughter, but I can't tell you that._

"Babe, you're overthinking things," Ezra laughed, lifting her hand to his lips. "Long distance relationships aren't always doomed to fail. Plus, Philly isn't that far from New York. Like I said, I'll be visiting you all the time. I'll be seeing so much of you, you're going to get bored," he added with a wink, in an effort to make her laugh.

But Ezra's "I'll be seeing you all the time" phrase had her biting her lip anxiously, not sure what to say.

_Ezra, I'm pregnant._

"Okay," was all she could manage.

"Now stop worrying and let's eat," Ezra said, as the waitress placed their food in front of them.

* * *

They were in the car and driving back to Rosewood. Aria found herself feeling more and more nervous around Ezra, mostly because he couldn't stop talking about his new job and how exciting and refreshing it felt to be starting over again.

The hard knot in her stomach continued to clench and unclench painfully and the words she wanted to say were poised on the tip of her tongue but were unable to take flight.

She whipped out her phone and saw an unread message from Spencer. She opened it.

'_So, did you tell him?'_

She sighed and began to type out a response.

'_Not yet. Maybe I shouldn't?'_

'_Are you insane?'_

'_Probably.' _

'_I'm going to choose to ignore that. You're not insane. You're scared. And it's okay, Aria. But Ezra's the father and the boyfriend and he loves you to the moon and back. Just tell him.'_

'_He got that job, Spence.'_

'_Oh. Fuck. So that's what's stopping you.'_

'_Yeah.'_

'_Regardless, you need to tell him. Right now. Don't worry about Ezra being crushed about having the rug pulled down from under him. You do care about this baby, don't you? If you do, its dad needs to know of its existence first.'_

Aria paused for a moment, her finger hovering over her screen. _'You do care about this baby, don't you? If you do, its dad needs to know of its existence first.' _

_Damn you, Spencer Hastings. Damn your logic and your unique way making me see the light._

'_Okay, you're right. I'll tell him now. I'll talk to you later.'_

"Who're you so busy texting?" Ezra wanted to know.

"Um, just Spencer," Aria replied vaguely.

"Oh, hey, I forgot to ask. You're going to Columbia, where are the rest of your friends going?"

"Mm, Spencer's going to UPenn and Hanna and Emily are both going to Hollis," Aria said absently. She rubbed her sweaty palms together and decided to take the plunge.

"Ezra," she began.

"Hmm?"

"I need to tell you something." She turned to look at him, watched the headlights of the other cars reflect against his sharp features. _He's so gorgeous, _she thought as she reached out to stroke the planes of his face.

He turned his face to briefly kiss her hand that was pressed lightly against the cheek. "You can tell me anything, babe."

"Ezra, this is important," she said, stalling. Her throat and tongue were dry. _These are just words, damn it. I should be able to say them._

_Ezra, I'm pregnant._

_But these words are more loaded than a gun at the moment. And could cause almost the same amount of damage._

He turned briefly to look at her. Their eyes met and she could feel an invisible surge of electricity, connecting them, telling her that he could be trusted.

Their unwavering gaze emboldened her, pushed her to finally say the words she had been itching to say all evening.

"Ezra, I'm–"

A sudden, piercing flash of light from in front of them caused her to whip around. She saw the blinding light of the headlights of a truck, too close to their car.

"EZRA, LOOK OUT!" she screamed.

Ezra grabbed the steering wheel and used all his strength to yank it to the other side. There was the sickening sound of the truck scraping against the left side of the car. The car stumbled off the shoulder and the uneven ground sent jolts through the body of the vehicle. Before either of them could react, the car went crashing into a pole and a fence. Aria's entire body was thrown forward and her forehead connected solidly with the dashboard.

Then everything went blank.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! Special thanks to my first reviewers SolitudeMyLove and ae1st19! And my newest guest reviewer :) This means so much to me! Thanks again!**

** SolitudeMyLove: It's a multi chapter story :) **

** My guest reviewer: Don't worry, Ezra's not going to find out after the kid's born. No, this story is going to take a different course. **

**Keep reading and don't forget to review!**


	3. Heat

**Chasing Starlight**

Chapter 3

_Heat_

* * *

**A/N: This chapter goes back to the night Aria got pregnant. If smut makes you uncomfortable, you can skip ahead to chapter 4. (This story **_**was **_**rated M for a reason!)**

* * *

Before she went to Ezra's apartment, she had a few trips to make.

She stopped a chocolate shop and picked up a box of gourmet chocolates, delicately wrapped in pink ribbon. Soon after, she picked up a bottle of Ezra's favourite wine and made her way to his apartment.

She pulled out his spare key from under the doormat, inserted it into the keyhole, twisted it and entered.

His apartment, as always, was just a little messy. Sports magazines lay on the surface of coffee tables and this morning's coffee mug still sat next to the newspaper that was yet to be folded. She put away some of the magazines, set the cushions on the couch in order and set a few scented candles on the table. She proceeded to do the same in the bedroom and lit them so the entire apartment was filled with shimmering flames. She scattered rose petals from the front door to the bedroom door, which she left slightly ajar. She smiled to herself, wondering what Ezra's first reaction would be when he walked through that door.

Inside the room, she took off her clothes slowly and stuffed them into her bag, which she placed inside Ezra's closet. She pulled out a silk black tie, which she loosely knotted around her neck and placed the wine, along with two glasses she'd brought from the kitchen, and the chocolates on the nightstand. She did keep her black stilettos on as she reclined on the bed, stretching her legs out on the soft covers, crossing one leg over the other.

She pulled out her phone and typed out a message to Ezra, asking him how his interview went. She got a reply almost instantaneously.

'_It was pretty good, at least I hope so! I'm ten minutes away from my apartment. I'll call you then. Love you.' _

She smiled to herself, patting down her hair as she put her phone away. She popped one of the chocolates in her mouth as she waited, sighing softly as the gooey caramel inside melted in her mouth. _If there's anything better than sex, it's these chocolates, _she thought, closing her eyes as she leaned against the pillows.

Five minutes later, she heard the sound of a key turning in the keyhole and the soft creak of the front door opening. She smiled. It was about time.

* * *

Ezra was tired. Driving through all that traffic had certainly sucked away all his energy. He was looking forward to ordering some Chinese food and reclining before the TV.

He pulled out his key and pushed it into the keyhole, turning it once, then twice before it opened. When he was inside, his hand when automatically to the switchboard on the right but what he saw caused his hand to freeze.

There were dozens and dozens of candles sitting on the kitchen counter, dining table, coffee table and even on top of the shoe rack, enveloping the room in a soft, shimmering, sensual light. He sniffed as he looked around, trying to locate the source of the smell; someone had taken the trouble to light lemongrass.

He looked down at his feet and noticed a couple of rose petals. He followed the trail with his eyes, noticing that they led all the way to his bedroom. The bedroom door was slightly ajar, the soft light of the burning candles spilling out from the room. He walked towards the door almost as if he were in a dream and pushed it open. What he saw inside caused him to drop his briefcase and stare.

It was Aria. She was reclining against his pillows with a sensual, sultry look in her eyes. Her lips were slightly parted, painted ruby red and her hair cascades down her shoulders and chest like a waterfall. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, her feet strapped in black stiletto heels. A black tie was knotted loosely around her neck.

The best part of the whole arrangement, Ezra realized as he felt a familiar bulge form in his pants, was that she was completely naked.

"Oh, Mr. Fitz," she purred, when she saw him. A slight smile tugged at her lips at his expression and her voice was low and sexy. "I was really trying to get some work done…but, oh, it was so hot in here." She lifted a hand to circle her neck and sighed dramatically. "You really don't mind, do you?"

He had completely lost his ability to form coherent words as he stood and gaped at her, his mouth forming an 'O', all traces of tiredness disappearing entirely from his body.

"You look so hot, too!" she murmured, loosening her tie. "Why don't you come over here? I'll help you get out of those awfully uncomfortable…" she ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, causing Ezra's mouth to water, "…_clothes._"

At that moment, Ezra kicked off his shoes and strolled over to her, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her into a blazing, searing kiss that caused her to make appreciative noises in her throat. He pushed her onto the bed, lying on top of her as his mouth ravished hers, their tongues entangled in one steamy kiss after another, pulling the tie off her as she pulled at his, unbuttoning his shirt with a ferocity that almost had the buttons flying in different directions, peppering kisses down his neck onto his exposed chest.

He paused for a moment and threw off his shirt, falling back down to kiss her again. His tongue darted between her lips and he scraped his teeth on her bottom lip, his tongue meeting hers briefly before meeting again. He moved down to pepper kisses along her jawline that caused her to murmur appreciatively before moving down to kiss and suckle at her neck, revelling in the whimpering noises that she made.

At that moment, Aria's breasts ached to be touched but Ezra was still focusing all his attention on her neck. A pleasurable sensation was welling up inside her, filling her inside-out, pumping through her veins. When his hands moved up from her waist to cup her breasts, his thumb stroking the tip, she could hardly hold back the cry that was ripped from her lips.

His mouth was on her breasts now and he was using lips, teeth and tongue to satisfy her. He worked steadily on the left one first and then the right, listening to her moans and the sharp breaths she took every time he did something right.

When he paused, she dragged him up to grab him in a steamy kiss. His body was between her legs, her legs wrapped around his back, his hands moving up and down her smooth thighs. They were kissing again – sloppy, frantic kisses that were driving him insane. She reached down and unbuckled his pants as he slid them off and she could feel the hardness of his erection against her inner thigh through the cotton of his boxers. He rubbed himself slowly against her centre and the pleasurable friction was enough to cause her to throw her head back and cry out load.

He peppered kisses from the shallow valley between her breasts, all the way to her bellybutton and back to her lips. She wrapped her legs around him tighter just when she felt his fingers reach down between her legs and stroke most sensitive part of her body.

The shock of pleasure had her digging her fingernails into his back and moaning loudly. His fingers parted her slick folds, rubbing steadily against the same area that was driving her insane. Her eyes were shut and a steady build-up of pleasure was starting to fill her entire body. He smiled slowly as he watched her face, his fingers moving faster and faster, revelling in the way her entire body seemed to seize up in a spasm and the way her eyes were squeezed shut. She was so gloriously wet and hot and driving her over the edge was driving him crazy. She was gasping and crying out, finally screaming out his name when waves of pleasure crashed over her, leaving her shaking.

His fingers moved down and dipped inside her and her head was thrown back again as he pumped in and out of her. He continued doing this three or four times before he stopped and lowered his face between her legs.

Just when she started to believe that nothing else in world was better than what he'd just done, he once again proved her wrong. His tongue was hitting her in all the right places and _damn, _it felt so good. Her fingers were fisting in his hair and there were white-hot spots in front of her eyes every time he hit the right places. It was driving her insane.

He paused what he was doing to kiss in the insides of her thighs that make goose bumps erupt on her skin. He stopped kissing her and returned to what he was doing, moving his tongue first in slow circles and then moving faster and harder.

Before she knew it, pleasure erupted like a bomb within her, causing her to let out a half-scream, her fingers fisting in the soft covers of his bed.

"Come here," she whispered breathily and he moved up to kiss her slowly. They kissed for half a minute or so before she moved her hands down, slipped her fingers into the waistband of his boxers and tugged them down his hips. He kicked them off, lifted himself up by his arms, his knees on either side of her hips. She reached out and took him in her hands and began to pump him. He groaned, the muscles in his arms clenching with the effort to hold himself up.

"Aria," he breathed.

He leaned down and their lips met again in a hot, passionate kiss. She wrapped her legs around him, her stiletto heels grazing his back. She could feel him, rock hard and pressing urgently against her thigh. There was a tightening sensation between her legs and when his knee moved up between her legs to grind against her, she held back the whimper in her throat and gave into the desire burning inside her.

"Ezra," she gasped. "Now. Please."

He yanked open the drawer of the nightstand and groped inside for the box of condoms he always kept with him. But his fingers didn't come in contact with any shiny silver packet; the box was empty.

"Fuck," he cursed. Was this the time to run out of condoms?

"What's the matter?" Aria asked, pushing herself up on her elbows. She was breathing heavily, her breasts rising and falling, her hair tousled and her face red. Her voice came out in a breathy pant. "What's wrong, Ezra?"

"We're out of condoms." In his impatience, he overturned the box and rummaged inside the drawer in the hopes of finding one spare condom. "Fuck, fuck, _fuck. _Maybe I should run down to the store and get some–"

"What? _Now_?" she cried. Didn't he know exactly how badly she wanted him inside her? The need to feel him pumping out of her was overtaking her mind and body.

She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into another searing kiss. He melted onto her lips, grabbing her bottom lip between her teeth and tugging. She hummed in appreciation.

"Do you have any idea how badly I want to feel you inside me?" she murmured in his ear as he proceeded to nibble at hers. "God, I just want you to just fuck me. Right now. As hard as you can." She lowered her voice to a sexy purr. "_And I don't want you to stop."_

It was miraculous how her words could make him harder than he already was.

In a rare show of strength, she pushed him onto his back and knelt above him, her knees on either side of his hips. His hands reached up, stroked her thighs and clasped her hips.

She leaned in front and her breasts dangled from her body. He reached up to cup them; they were luminously full. She tortured him by nibbling at his neck and ear and began to pepper a trail of kisses down his chest. He moaned as held her head as she flicked her tongue against his bellybutton and then moved lower until she took him in her mouth.

Ezra shivered and his entire body recoiled in pleasure as she continued to do what she was doing. She moved her mouth up and down for almost a minute before she moved up to continue to kiss his chest. She gave him one last kiss on his lips before she lowered her body and took him inside her.

A sensation of pure pleasure exploded inside him as she moved herself in a deliriously slow rhythm up and down his shaft. It was a miraculous experience and feeling her soft exposed skin against his as she took him in and out of her was sending electric bolts of pleasure into his body. She teased him mercilessly as she pulled out almost entirely and then pushed him inside her at a faster pace. He watched as pleasure bloomed across her beautiful pace, watched as she threw her head back and rode him harder.

She was enjoying setting the pace, having to decide whether she liked it slow or fast. He reached up and cupped her breasts as they bounced with the upward-downward movement of her body. He pulled her down to kiss her lips in an effort to slow them both down and side-tracked her by throwing her down on her back and clambering on top of her.

She squealed as he kissed her neck and then spread her legs as far as possible. With his eyes locked on hers, he swiftly entered her and began fucking her with a speed that left her moaning and crying out loud. She opened her eyes briefly and saw her legs dangling in the air above them, saw the high heels of her shoes pointing at the ceiling. He was thrusting into her deeper, faster and she could feel beads of sweat forming on his hairline and spilling onto her shoulder blades. He paused for a moment, caught her legs and threw them over his shoulders with his neck in between, bending her body back a little and began arrowing into her, this time managing to go deeper. Taking a shaky breath, he used all his energy to increase his pace, driving inside her at a maddeningly fast pace.

Stars were exploding inside her eyes and pleasure was spreading through her veins like a drug. The friction from where he was pushing himself into her and then pulling out and pushing inside her again was driving her over the edge. She could almost feel herself rising above, could feel pleasure inflating her like a balloon. Her breathing was growing more and more rapid and she could hear her own moans and cries and knew she was almost there.

Then a thought struck her.

"Pull out in time, Ezra!" she heard herself say. She could feel him slowing down a little, trying to postpone the inevitable, but his body began to act of its own accord and his pace quickened again. Aria's chest tightened and before she knew it, she'd hit her peak and a scream was ripped from her throat. She could feel herself floating back down like a feather that had been dropped from a height. Seconds later, Ezra hit his and managed to pull out just in time. Moments later, he collapsed on top of her.

They were both spent and exhausted, rocked from the amazing sex that they'd just had. The only sound in their room at that moment was the sound of their raspy breathing. Aria's legs had unclasped themselves from Ezra's neck and were now loosely wrapped around his back. She reached out, still breathing heavily, and unclasped her shoes and kicked them off the bed. They continued to lay there, Ezra looking like he'd passed out on top of her before he raised his head and gave her a sweet, grateful kiss.

He rolled off her and took her into his arms, her leg moving to wrap around his hip as they lay on their sides kissing.

"I love you," Ezra whispered. "I love you so much, Aria. Honestly, you're the best girlfriend a guy could hope for."

She smiled at him before proceeding to kiss him again. "I love you too," she whispered, giving him a hug.

They cuddled for a minute or so before Aria untangled herself from his arms. She reached out towards the nightstand and pulled out the box of chocolates. "Hungry?" she asked him, lifting the lid of the box to show him the chocolates.

"Am I ever," Ezra said, reaching out to grab two chocolates and stuffed them in his mouth, closing his eyes as he chewed. "Damn, these are amazing."

"I know," she said, helping herself to another piece. "Oh, I almost forgot. I brought this." She held out the bottle of wine for him to inspect and revelled in his expression as he took it from her.

"Wow," Ezra said, staring at the label. "Am I the luckiest guy or what?"

Aria giggled and held out the glasses. He poured some wine into the glasses and they talked and drank for a while.

After that, they returned to kissing and cuddling. When Ezra's knee brushed between her legs, Aria let out a gasp. Ezra stopped kissing her for a moment to survey her face and then moved his hand between her legs. She shivered at the moment of contact and let out a soft moan.

"Looks like someone's in the mood for some more action," he said with a grin and rolled on top of her. "I think I'm in the mood for a second helping."

* * *

**A/N: So, there you go. Some Ezria smut :) Writing smut isn't nearly as easy as it looks. This took me a good four hours to finish and I'm exhausted.**

**Aww, thank you again for all your lovely reviews! Again, I would like to thank my absolutely wonderful reviewers – thecandygirl1, bite-me-im-irish, SolitudeMyLove, ae1st19 and my other lovely guest reviewers! Your reviews are what keep me going to continue with this story. **

**So, drop me a line about this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to review, again!**


	4. Down the Rabbit Hole

**Chasing Starlight**

Chapter 4

_Down the Rabbit Hole_

Ezra was waiting in the lobby of the Rosewood Hospital when Spencer, Emily and Hanna arrived.

"How's Aria?" Spencer asked, sitting next to him. "Is she okay?"

"She should be. Her forehead is bruised and the doctor thinks she might have a concussion, but otherwise, she's okay." Ezra rubbed his eyes tiredly and dropped his face into his hands.

"Wow. Luckily, you guys were really close to Rosewood," Hanna said. She exchanged a look with Spencer and Emily but none of them spoke. They weren't sure if Ezra knew about Aria's pregnancy yet, so they couldn't ask him if the baby was okay.

"What did happen, though?" Emily asked Ezra. "How did you guys wind up in that accident?"

"Well, we were having this…conversation," Ezra began. "It looked like she was going to tell me something important and things were getting pretty intense. Then, out of nowhere, there was a truck and we swerved off the road and we hit a fence and a pole. That's how Aria hurt her forehead. Then I called for an ambulance. My car's kind of in a bad shape right now."

"But are you okay?" Hanna asked, sitting down on his other side. Ezra gave her a small smile.

"I'm okay. I just had a bleeding nose but that got cleared up in a couple of minutes. It's really nice of you guys to come. To be honest, I didn't expect it. I just thought I needed to tell Spencer that Aria might be coming home late, considering how she's staying over at her place this week."

"We wanted to check up on you guys," Emily said. "And it was no big deal."

"Mr. Fitz?" A doctor walked up to them. Ezra stood up. "Yes?"

"Ms. Montgomery is fine. She does have a concussion and she's a little banged up, but otherwise, there's nothing to worry about," the doctor said. "We're just going to keep her overnight for observation and take a couple of x-rays."

"Sure," Ezra said and a relieved smile broke across his face. "Thanks again, Dr. Taylor."

"No problem," the doctor said and turned to leave. As Spencer watched him walk away, something clicked. She turned immediately to Ezra. "They're going to take an x-ray!"

Ezra looked puzzled. "So?"

Spencer, Emily and Hanna exchanged panicked looks. It was clear from Ezra's reaction that he had no idea that Aria was pregnant.

"So we've got to stop him!" Hanna burst out.

"Why?" Ezra's confusion was growing by the second.

"I've got to find Dr. Taylor," Spencer said breathlessly and turned to leave. Ezra caught her arm. "Why?" he repeated. "What's the matter? Is there something about Aria you guys aren't telling me?"

"Um, nothing except that she's…allergic to x-rays," Spencer invented wildly.

Ezra's brow furrowed. "Allergic to x-rays?"

"Yeah, it's possible. I read it in a medical journal," Spencer said breathlessly. _Damn, damn, damn. I'm screwing this up._

"Yeah, Spencer's going to medical school," Hanna lied.

"Medical school? I thought you were double-majoring in Bio-Chem and Economics in UPenn?" Ezra asked. Spencer shot Hanna an annoyed look.

"I'm uh, thinking about it. Maybe later on…I could…go to medical school?" Spencer looked over her shoulder frantically. Dr. Taylor was talking to a nurse and taking down notes on a clipboard.

"So, Aria is allergic and I should probably inform the doctor. Since, her parents aren't here, we could be considered as…family. So isn't it our legal obligation to disclose all material facts relating to the patient?" Spencer finished lamely.

Ezra was speechless.

"She's right," Emily piped up. "Oh, look, Spence, the doctor seems to be going off somewhere. Why don't you catch up with him and inform him about Aria's…allergy?"

"Sure," Spencer said and began to make her way towards Dr. Taylor. Behind her, she could hear Hanna saying, "So, Mr. Fitz…uh, Ezra. How about I get you some coffee? Cream or sugar or both?"

* * *

Spencer caught up with Dr. Taylor, who was getting ready to walk into another patient's room.

"Dr. Taylor?" she said breathlessly. "Hi, I'm Spencer Hastings. My friend, Aria Montgomery, is a patient here?"

"Yeah, that's right," Dr. Taylor said, a tad impatiently. Spencer took a deep breath.

"Well, the thing is, Aria's…pregnant. And Ezra Fitz – the father – doesn't know about it yet. I mean, she was planning to tell him, but they got into that accident. So–"

"That isn't an issue," the doctor said, making a note in his clipboard. "We'll take an MRI instead. That won't hurt the baby."

"Thanks," Spencer said, relieved. "And also, could you not mention it to Mr. Fitz? I think she'd like to tell him herself."

"Sure," Dr. Taylor said and turned to go. Spencer stopped him.

"One more thing," she said, hesitating. "Nothing could have…happened to the baby, could it? You know, in the accident?"

"There were no signs of miscarriage," Dr. Taylor said. "But if you want, I could get our obstetrician to take a look at her, although she's very early into the pregnancy. I'll keep you informed."

"Thank you so much," Spencer said gratefully. She turned around the corner and walked back to where Emily, Hanna and Ezra had been sitting. She looked at Ezra, who looked tall and handsome as he stood with his arms crossed across his chest, staring at a blank wall, clearly deep in thought. _I just really hope she tells him soon._

* * *

"Aria?"

Opening her eyes took a lot more effort than it was supposed to. There was a dull ache at the back of her head, almost as if she'd been whacked by a pole. She opened her eyes and blinked slowly before bringing a doctor into focus.

She turned her head slowly to the side and looked around. She was…on a bed, she realised. A _hospital bed. _She was…in a hospital.

"Where am I?" she croaked. Her voice was husky from lack of use. "Am I…in a hospital?" Suddenly, memories of the accident began rushing back. She sat up; the movement made her head spin. "Ezra! Is he…is he okay? Is he hurt? Oh my God…"

Her hand flew to her stomach. "Oh my God…" she repeated. She looked up at the doctor, a question burning in her eyes. "Is…is the…"

"The baby's okay," the doctor said, placing a cool hand on her arm and forcing her to lie back down. A powerful wave of relief rippled through her before it disappeared again. "But what about Ezra?" she asked, struggling against the doctor's grip to sit back up again. "Is he okay?"

"Mr. Fitz is fine," the doctor said firmly. "He had nothing more than a bleeding nose. You're going to be fine too, Ms. Montgomery. You look like you've just had a concussion. You'll be fine; however, we will be taking an MRI scan just to be sure and we're keeping you here overnight for observation."

Aria nodded meekly. Her head was feeling sorer by the minute. The doctor pulled out a flashlight, observed her pupils, took her temperature and checked her pulse. "I'm Dr. Taylor, by the way," he said, as he made notes on his clipboard. "You seem to be okay. However," he peered at her above his glasses, "you were very lucky you didn't lose the baby. If it wasn't for the seatbelt and sheer luck, you wouldn't be pregnant right now. But from what I heard, the father doesn't know yet. Why's that?"

"I was going to tell him," Aria said honestly. Her hand slipped down to her stomach involuntarily. "And then…the accident happened." A shudder rippled through her body.

"I see," Dr. Taylor said. "Well, then, I can get a gynaecologist to check up on you just to see if everything's okay, although you're very early into your pregnancy."

"Okay," Aria said quietly as the doctor left.

She had barely any time to process what he said before Ezra entered. His face was barely seen above the huge bouquet of flowers that he held.

"Sweetheart, I was worried," he said, placing the flowers on her bedside table and hurrying over to her side. He held her hand and pressed a kiss gently to her sore forehead.

"Hi, Ezra," she said weakly, smiling as he kissed her softly on the lips. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said, sitting on the side of her bed. He softly brushed back her hair from her forehead as he looked at her. "I was just so worried about you. You were pretty banged up. I freaked out."

A nurse walked into the room at that time, setting Aria's pain meds on the table. She helped Aria sit up and placed a few more pillows behind her for support. Ezra waited until she left before he leaned in and kissed her more intensely.

It was different from all the other time they'd kissed before. This kiss tasted of relief and comfort. Aria sank into the kiss gratefully, her body almost sighing at the comfort and feeling of safeness that it induced in her. Ezra pressed a small kiss to her nose and ran his hand down the side of her neck. He kissed her forehead again and placed his against hers very gently. His brown eyes looked tired as they bored into hers.

"I was so worried," he said again and at that moment, Aria could fully appreciate the sincerity in his tone. He closed his eyes, giving her hand a squeeze before opening his eyes again. He kissed her lips again. "I promise nothing like this will never happen to you again, Aria. I swear to God I'll never put you through this again."

She reached out to touch his face, feeling the hint of stubble on his cheek, scraping against the skin of her palm. She stroked his soft dark locks, falling over his forehead. He gazed at her, looking as if he was still recovering from the fright of finding out that something had happened to her.

"Okay," she murmured. She raised her chin, indicating that she wanted another kiss and Ezra proceeded to kiss her some more. He kissed a trail of kisses down her jaw and stopped at her ear, where his warm breath tickled her skin.

"I love you so much," he whispered.

The beauty of the moment almost took Aria's breath away. His voice, his words, the sincerity that lay beneath it, the tender moment that passed between them – they all seemed like the right time to take his hand, look him in the eye and tell him the truth.

'_Ezra, there's something you need to know.'_

'_Yeah? What happened, babe?'_

'_I'm…I'm pregnant, Ezra. It's…yours. I'm pregnant with your baby.'_

She could imagine the initial shock on his face, then his immediate concern whether the baby was okay after the accident. She could imagine him torn for a moment about what to do – his job, her moving away to college, telling her parents. She could imagine him then looking at her dead in the eye and telling her not to worry.

'_Aria, it's okay. We've been through __**so much. **__We can survive this too. Whatever happens, I'm always going to be here. I'm not going to leave. I'm going to support you through everything and we're going to raise this baby together. __**Our **__baby. This baby was born out of love and that's how it's going to be raised. No matter what, I will __**always **__love you and I will always, always love this little boy or girl, too.'_

Because that's exactly how Ezra was, Aria mused as she studied him. He was a wonderful, beautiful human being, an amazing boyfriend who was definitely going to be an even better father. She could imagine him playing catch with a little boy and even taking a little girl on a ride on his shoulders.

A little boy with dark hair and a square jaw and a little girl with dark hair and large, exotic eyes.

The image swam in front of her eyes for a moment before she snapped back to reality. Ezra was watching her with a tender look in his eyes, her hand in his, his thumb stroking circles on to the back of her hand.

"Ezra," she began, painfully aware of her heart thumping in her throat.

At that moment, Ezra's cell phone rang. He looked up and a small line appeared in between his eyebrows. "So sorry, babe, but I've got to take this. It's about my new job." He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. "I'll be back."

Aria slumped back onto the pillows, disappointed. She had been ready to finally tell him the truth, tell him that he was going to become a father. _Something or the other always seems to come up, _she thought, staring at the ceiling.

At that moment, the door opened and she looked up, hoping that it was Ezra. Instead, it was the nurse, who chastised her for not taking her pain meds and told her that visiting hours were over.

"I told your friends that they could come by tomorrow," she told her, handing her a cup with coloured pills in it.

_Damn it, _Aria thought dully as she popped a pill into her mouth and chased it down with a gulp of water. _I can never seem to get this weight off my chest._

* * *

**A/N: So…Aria's still pregnant, Ezra's still unaware that he's going to be a father, his new job might require him to move sooner than expected, college is just around the corner for Aria. What's next? Do read and find out! (:**

**Also, the review button looks very shiny and tempting, doesn't it? Drop me a line; I'd love to know your thoughts on the how the story's going!**

**Special thanks to my beyond amazing reviewers – _YaleAceBella12, eaulby, Evenwhenyoudream, WWKMDbracelets, SolitudeMyLove, ae1st19, foreverdream7, thecandygirl1, bite-me-im-irish _and my amazing guest reviewers :) I wouldn't even be writing if it weren't for you guys! Thank you, my lovelies! **


	5. Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever, Darling

**Chasing Starlight**

Chapter 5

_Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever, Darling_

"What do you mean you don't want to eat anything?" Spencer demanded, placing her hands on her hips. "You've _got _to eat something!"

"How can I eat when the smell of food makes me want to throw up all the time?" Aria wrinkled her nose and pushed her plate of pasta away. "I'm sorry, Spence, but I can't eat this. I can't eat anything."

Spencer sighed, picked up a fork and began to eat Aria's untouched pasta. "I'm not blowing my own trumpet, but this is by far the best pasta I've ever tasted."

"That's because you made it," Aria said, giving Spencer a good-natured punch on the arm. "Just don't bring it too close to me. The smell makes me nauseous."

"Aria, just to be clear, I agreed to be your friend, not your nurse," Spencer teased. "I can't strap you to a bed and force food into your mouth."

"I know." Aria sighed.

"Is there anything you feel like eating?" Spencer asked.

Aria thought for a moment. "Something…sour."

"Like gummy bears?" Spencer asked shrewdly.

Aria's eyes brightened. "Yes! Do you have some?"

"Aria, I'm not stupid," Spencer said dryly. "I know you ate my entire stash of gummy bears that I hide in my backpack. When I tried fishing for them last night, the packet was empty."

Aria flushed. "It was that obvious, huh? Well, I guess it was, considering how I'm the only person in this house with pregnancy cravings." She dropped her face into her hands. "I still can't believe I'm pregnant."

Spencer reached out and took her hand. "I know. But you'll get through this, okay? Both of you will. Speaking of Ezra, have you told him yet?"

Aria shook her head. "No."

"Aria!" Spencer exclaimed. "You still haven't told him?"

"Come on, Spencer, how do you expect me to?" Aria demanded angrily. "You weren't there when he was unemployed for an entire year after my dad got him kicked out of Hollis. You weren't there to see him look blue and depressed every single day. You weren't the one to motivate him to go find a job when he was convinced he was never going to find one. You weren't the one who held his hand when he got rejection letters, or when he felt useless and untalented every single day. You weren't there, okay? So you have no idea how much this new job means to him and how springing this on him just when he's so excited to start a whole new part of his life would be the worst thing to do to him."

"Alright, alright," Spencer said quickly in an attempt to placate her. "You're right. I'm sorry. I have no right to tell you whether or not to tell your boyfriend that you're pregnant with his baby. After all, what am I? Just a teenager. I have _no _idea what it's like to have a boyfriend." She couldn't help the tinge of sarcasm from creeping into her tone.

Aria let out a breath slowly. "I'm sorry, Spence. It's just that I've been feeling really cranky for the past couple of days. Don't think for a moment that I'm keeping this from him on purpose, okay? I just can't bring myself to pop his bubble just when he's starting to feel useful and wanted again. He's going to be teaching, doing something he loves after so long. I don't want to pull the rug out from under him. Not yet, at least."

"It's okay," Spencer said, although it was clear she didn't agree with Aria's way of thinking. "It's your relationship, Aria. I'll support you through whatever you decide to do."

Aria reached out and took her hand. "Thanks for coming with me to the gynaecologist yesterday. It really helped. I guess I always thought I'd go to the doctor with the father of my baby but having you there really helped. So, thank you."

Spencer gave her hand a squeeze. "It's okay. I'm glad I could be there for you. Like I said, I'll support whatever decision you make."

Aria's phone beeped. "It's Ezra," she said, picking it up and scanning the message that appeared on the screen. "Hmm, that's weird. He wants me to come over immediately. I wonder what's up." She slid off her chair and went to fetch her purse from the other room. "I'll be back. I'm just going to see what he wants. I'll be back in a bit."

"Bye," Spencer said as Aria left the house. She continued to eat the pasta, staring at the wall opposite her, deep in thought. "Yep," she said to herself. "This is _definitely _the best pasta I've ever tasted."

* * *

Aria picked up Ezra's favourite croissants from a bakery before she headed over to his place. Clutching the warm bag in one hand and a steaming cappuccino in a Styrofoam cup in another, she proceeded up the stairs of his apartment. She rapped on the door twice, pushing it open when she heard Ezra call out, "Come in!"

"Ezra," she began as she entered, closing the door behind her. "I got your message. What's u–" She broke off mid-sentence, her jaw dropping as she surveyed the room.

"Hey, babe," Ezra said as he emerged behind a large cardboard box. He picked up the remaining books from his bookshelf and carefully placed them in the box. "Oh, I see you picked up some coffee and croissants. Thanks!"

Aria was speechless as he walked over to her, kissed her lightly on the lips and took the food from her. As he unwrapped the croissants and took a sip of coffee, she stared at the remains of his living room.

Everything was boxed up. There were no pictures on the mantelpiece; his couch and his television were missing. There were dozens of large cardboard boxes all over the place, some of them taped. A wave of confusion broke over her.

"Ezra," Aria said slowly. "What's going on?"

Ezra took another bite of his croissant, chewed and swallowed before answering. "Aria, I called you over because I wanted to explain. The Principal called today and he wanted me to fly to Philadelphia this evening. There's a teachers' conference tonight and he wants me to join."

Aria crossed her arms across her chest and stared at him. "Yeah, well, I didn't know you had to pack away _all _your things just to go to a teachers' conference in Philadelphia."

"Well." Ezra looked sheepish. He put down the croissant he had been eating, walked over to her and placed his arms on her shoulder. "Maybe you should sit down."

"Where?" Aria said dryly, looking around. "There isn't anything to sit down _on."_

"Here." Ezra pulled out a stool for her. She sat on it gingerly, surveying him suspiciously through her large, beautiful eyes.

"The thing is, Aria," Ezra began. "They want me to move to Philadelphia sooner than expected. They're conducting some training sessions for all the teachers for the next couple of weeks. And since it's a swanky private school, they want everything and everybody to be perfect. So, I decided to move for good today." He took a deep breath and looked away from her shocked expression. "The moving van will be here in an hour."

"Ezra." His words felt like a kick to the gut. She reached out and grabbed his hand. "You're leaving? _Today?"_

"Babe, I'm sorry." He pulled her into a hug and attempted to kiss her hair but she pushed him away, backing away from him. "Aria–"

"No." She held up her hand. He fell silent. "This is not the way you tell your girlfriend you're leaving, Ezra. You _sprung _this on me! We didn't even talk about you leaving so soon." Tears sprung to her eyes and she brushed them away impatiently. _Damn you, pregnancy hormones._

"Aria, listen to me–" He began again before she cut him off for the second time.

"It's not fair, Ezra!" She knew she was yelling at him for something that wasn't his fault but she couldn't help it. "This is not how you tell me you're leaving!"

"Aria, stop." He said the words quietly but they had an immediate effect on her. She stopped yelling and stared at him, breathing heavily. He walked towards her and pulled her into his arms and all of a sudden she was crying into his shirt, breathing in his familiar coffee-and-cinnamon scent. She felt him kiss the top of her head as he wrapped his strong arms around her, holding her against his chest. She closed her eyes, her fingers fisting in his shirt, the material feeling cold and damp against her cheek, stained by the tears that fell from her eyes.

"It's okay," he said soothingly and all at once, with his arms wrapped around her, she felt peaceful. At that moment, all that mattered was the fact that he was holding her and he felt so warm and smelled so familiar. She didn't have to think about the fact that he was leaving or that she was pregnant or that everything seemed to be falling apart. At that moment, he was holding her and just for that one little second, everything was okay. Everything was beautiful. He was holding her and she felt safe, almost as if they were in their own little bubble that nothing could destroy.

"It's just that…I'm going to miss you so much. More than you're ever going to know." Her voice was muffled against his shirt. He tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer.

"Me too," he whispered, planting a kiss on the top of her head. She looked up and their gazes met and all of a sudden, they were kissing. It was a hungry, passionate kiss; she wrapped her legs around his waist, her hand fisting in his hair as he placed her atop the kitchen counter. He peppered kisses down the side of her neck and kissed the swell of her breasts as he yanked down the neck of the sweater she was wearing. He lifted his head and their eyes met; their lips met in a ripe kiss.

He clambered on top of the empty counter, positioning himself over her. Soon, they were making love with a kind of intensity that only a couple know they are going to be apart for a very, very long time would understand. When they were done, Ezra rolled off her and began to put on his clothes.

"So. Kitchen counter sex." Aria pulled her shirt over her head. "That's something we've never tried before. I enjoyed it."

There was a tender look in Ezra's eyes as he leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back slowly, tenderly before she pulled away.

"What's wrong?" Ezra asked softly, wrapping his arm around her waist as she sat on the counter.

She looked up to meet his eyes and sighed. "It's just that…no one ever told me it would be this hard, Ezra. Saying goodbye to you. Not coming here–" she gestured towards the naked rooms, " – and not seeing you reclining on your couch and reading _The Great Gatsby. _I won't ever get to eat the dinner you burned or eat Chinese food on the bed after sex. Everything's going to _change."_

"Aria, listen to me." He cupped her chin in his hand and looked her straight in the eye. "This isn't going to change my feelings for you. This isn't going to change your feelings for me. Our relationship? It's beautiful; it's complicated; it's been a bumpy, rocky journey. But no matter what, we've always been drawn to each other, inexorably connected not through the lack of physical distance that lies between us but because of the fact that we're in love. And love is the kind of emotion that connects not just two individuals, but two hearts, two souls. You and me, Aria, we're connected and always going to be connected because of the fact that I've seen the deepest part of your soul; I've explored every inch of your body; I've come close enough to hear and understand every beat of your heart; I've seen you shape and chisel your dreams. I'm in _love _with you, Aria, in a way is always going to connect us. Physical distance can't hinder the fact that every moment of every day, I'm going to be as much in love with you as I always was. It's not going to change. Remember, goodbye doesn't mean forever, darling."

She could feel herself melting like warm butter at his words. She leaned in and kissed him. Words didn't seem adequate at that moment to describe how much his little speech had touched her. When she was done, she pulled away and touched his face lightly.

"You seduce me with words, Ezra," she whispered. "I love that about you."

"Well, language was meant for men to woo women," he laughed, brushing the hair from her forehead. "I'll visit you all the time, Aria. I promise. I'll even come for your graduation if you want me to."

She knit her eyebrows together. "Really? You're going to come to the school you used to teach in to watch your former student and current girlfriend graduate? You're going to come to an event that my _parents _are going to be at?"

"Well, now that you put it that way, no." He cringed at the image. "I'm pretty sure your dad still hates me."

"Let's hope he comes around," she said with a sigh and placed her head against his chest.

They stayed that way for a couple of minutes before the doorbell rang. Ezra sighed. "I guess those are the movers." He began to walk towards the door but paused at the doorknob. He hurried back to Aria, picked her up and kissed her, deeply, tenderly. When they were done, he held her close. "I'm never going to give up on us," he whispered.

She wrapped her arms tighter around him, hoping to minimize any remaining distance between them. "I know," she whispered back.

* * *

She walked back to her car, feeling almost as if she were in a daze. Ezra was leaving. _Leaving. _She wouldn't be seeing him for months.

It was strange, she mused as she sat in her car, her engine still turned off. It was strange, knowing that she wouldn't be seeing Ezra every day. She'd always taken it for granted that he'd just be a five minute ride away from her house. Although they'd talked about long distance, it never really hit her until she realised that Ezra was leaving.

Seeing his empty apartment, his things stored away in cardboard boxes, the movers knocking on the door, their goodbye kiss…all of seemed to drive the knife of realisation deep into her heart.

She looked down at her stomach and was surprised to find herself feeling that she wasn't alone after all. Her hand went down to her stomach, almost as if she was hoping to feel a kick.

"It's okay," she murmured, though she wasn't sure whether she was talking to herself or to her unborn child. "I'm always going to be carrying a part of him around with me wherever I go."

At that moment, the thought of carrying something that was part of both her and Ezra filled her with warmth. It felt almost as if she was being hit by a ray of sunlight.

_I can do this. I can have this baby and figure things out and let Ezra know when the time's right. That way, I won't be destroying his dreams. I'm actually giving him a chance to live out his true passion._

She inserted the key into the right slot and turned it. The engine purred quietly. She began to back the car out of the parking slot.

_I'm doing the right thing, _she told herself as she began to drive. _Being away from him will be hard but I'm going to do my best. I'm going to tell Ezra about this when the time's right. I'm going to make sure he doesn't get hurt. _

She drove away into the horizon, with absolutely no idea about how hard it was going to get.

* * *

**A/N: Chapter 5! I hope you guys are enjoying the story. It's really nice to receive reviews about what you guys thought about the chapter. It really keeps me going (: Do keep the reviews coming!**

**Thanks again to my wonderful, encouraging reviewers who motivate me to continue with this fic – **_**Flawednfabulous, OnceAWildcatAlwaysAWildcat, thecandygirl1, Evenwhenyoudream, foreverdream7, SolitudeMyLove, ae1st19, YaleAceBella12, eaulby, WWKMDbracelets, bite-me-im-irish **_**and my other equally lovely guest reviewers! I want to give all of you a virtual hug for being so amazing (:**


End file.
